Mixing apparatus.



w. SNYDER. MIXING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.18, 1908.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. SNYDER.

I MIXING APPARATUS. APPLIOATIOH FILED 1330.18, 1908.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

W. SNYDER.

MIXING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED DBO.18, 1908.

929,71 9. A Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Cir

unirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SNYDER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MIXING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that 1, WILLIAM SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of l flissouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mixing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification,reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational View of my improved mixing apparatus; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the same; Fig. 3 is an end elevational view there of; and Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view thereof 011 the line 4- 1, Fig. 2.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in mixing apparatus, and particularly in apparatus for mixing materials, such as garbage, tankage, offal, and the like, with proper or suitable acids or chemicals for thepurpose of making thereof either fuel or commercial fertilizers.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the kind described which is strong, durable, readily constructed, and positively operated, and wherein the said materials and acids or chemicals are thoroughly mixed and the vapors or gases removed therefrom during the passage thereof tlirough the apparatus.

With this object in view, my invention consists in the novel construction of the several parts of my apparatus and in the novel arrangement and combination of the same, all'as will'hereinafter be described and pointed out in the claims.

As shown'in the drawings, my apparatus comprises preferably a receiving mixingchamber 1, an intermediate mixing-chamber 2, and a finishing chamber 3, the same being preferably arranged one above the other and supported by suitable frames or standards 4.

Receiving-chamber or tank 1 is preferably an elongated closed receptacle having a semicylindrical body portion, as shown, and is preferably arranged on the standards 4 at an incline downwardly from the front end to-- ward the rear endthereof. In its top and at the front or higher end thereof, tank 1 is provided with an inlet-opening or hopper 5,

through which the materials to be mixed or treated are adapted to be fed'into saidtank, the hopper 5 being providedwith a suitable flap or leaf valve 6 which is held in open or closed position by a weighted arm or lever '7 Journaled or rotatably mounted in suit- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 18, 1908.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Serial No. 468,165.

able bearings 9 in heads 10 of tank 1 and extending longitudinally through said tank is a shaft 8. Fixedly secured on said shaft is a series of spiders or arms 11, to the ends of which are adapted to be connected blades or strips 12, said shaft 8, arms 11, andblades 12 constituting or forming an agitator or stirrer adapted to mix or stir the materials fed into said tank, the said blades 12 being adapted to rotate or revolve close to the lower cylindrical portion of said tank 1. On one end of shaft 8 is mounted a suitable pulley or sprocket-wheel 13, which is adapted to receive motion from or to be rotated by a suitable sprocket-chain or belt 14. In the bottom and at the rear end of tank 1 is an outlet or discharge opening 15, which com- 16 being provided with preferably a suitable gate-valve 1 8, for purposes hereinafter appearing. Intermediate chamber 2 is also preferably an elongated closed tank having a semi-cylindrical body portion and is preferably of smaller size than tank 1.

Journaled or rotatably mounted in bear ings 20 inheads 21 of chamber 2 is a prefer ably sectional screw-conveyer 19, which extends the entire length of said tank and is adapted to deliver or transfer the materials entering tank 2 at the rear thereof through inletppeningl? to the front end thereof. the front end of conveyer 19 is a suitable pulley or sprocket-wheel 22 preferably in substantial alinement with sprocket-wheel 13, so as to be rotated by the same sprocketchain or belt 14. At the front endand inthe bottom of chamber 2 is an outlet or discharge opening 23, which communicates through apipe or tube 24 to an iulet-openii'ig 25 in the top and at the front end of the finishii'ig-cliainbei" 3, the said pipe or tube 24 being provided with a removably-covered opening 26, for purposes hereinafter appearing. Finishing-chamber 3 is also preferably an elongated closed tank having a semi-cyliiidrical body portion and is preferably of the same size as tank2.

Journaled or rotatably mounted in bearings 28 in heads 29 of said tank 3 is a preferably sectional screw-conveyer 27 similarto throughinlet openin 25 tothe roar ofsaid tank, whereit is discharged through a suitable outlet -'opening 31 communicating through a pipe or tube 32 to any suitable drying or pressing apparatus (not shown), where the said materials may be further treated or made into fuel-briquets. On the front end of conveyer 27 is a suitable pulley orsprocket-wlieel preferably in substantial alinement with sprocket-wheels 13 and 22, so as to be rotated also by the same belt or sprocket-chain 14,

In the top of each of said respective tanks or chambers 1, 2, and 3 is a vapor or gas outlet-opening 83, 34, and 35, respectively, which openings are connected by pipes 86, 37, and 38,1es ectively, to an upstanding pipe 39 leading t n'ough a pipe 40 to an exhaust or suction fan 41 leading to the furnace or other suitable place, whereby the vapors or gases given off by said materials duringv the passage thereof through said tanks may be exhausted from said tanks and carried to said furnace or other suitable place where they r are burned or otherwise disposed of.

While it is to be understood that my mix ing apparatus may be used for mixing materials or substances of various kinds and for various purposes, I have heretofore used it for mixing such materials as garbage, tankage, nightsoil, and other refuse with proper or suitable acids or chemicals for the purpose of making thereof either fuel or fertilizer.

For such purposes, my process of treatmentor mixture of said materials by my mixer is, briefly, as follows: After the garbage, tankage, or other refuse has been ground or rolled, it is delivered in a wet or green state to hopper 5 and into tank 1, said tank being usually constructed to contain about two and a'half tons of such materials. During this filling operation of tank 1, the gatevalve 18 is slightly opened, inorder that the water in said materials may be to a great extent drained off. Afterwardthis valve 18 is closed, and I now add to the particular materials in tank 1 the proper quantity of any suit able chemicals or acids, such as preferably sulfuric acid or vitriol, which tend to disintegrate or decompose said materials, to kill the grease therein, to evaporate or absorb the moisture or water remaining therein, and to separate therefrom odorous gases or vapors. The said materials and acids or chemicals are now thoroughly mixed in tank 1, the gases or vapors therefrom being drawn off through opening 33 and pipe 36. After the mixture has been treated in tank 1 for a sufficient length of time, the gate-valve 18 is opened, and said mixture may be deliveredto the exterior, but preferably passes down into the rear end of tank 2, where it is transferred by conveyer 19 through tank 2 to pipe 24, whence it passes into tank 3, where it is transferred by conveyer 27 to discharge-pipe 82, the conveyers 19 and 27 being adapted to rotate or revolve close to the cylindrical bottoms of tanks 2 and 3, respectively, and said mixture being further treated or mixed during its passage through said tanks and any vapors or gases thrown off therefrom during said passage being exhausted through openings 35 and 36 and pipes 37 and 88. When such mixture is delivered through pipe 32, it is comparatively odorless and is in a damp,

powdered state, such mixture being now transferred to any suitable drying or pressing apparatus, where it may be further treated, depending upon the use to which the same is to' be put. Should it be desired to make fertilizer of such mixture, the necessary or desired plant-food elements, such as phosphatcs, for instance, might be added to the said materials and mixed therewith during the passage thereof through my mixer, butI preferably add such fertilizer or plant-food elements to said mixture after the same has passed from my ap aratus and been thor-' oughly dried. Shou d it be desired to make fuel briquets from said materials, I prefer ably add to the same while passing through my mixer and preferably through opening 26, pulverized coal orother suitable substance, which is thoroughly mixed with said materials during the passage thereof through tank 3. Such mixture may now be delivered to a pressing apparatus and pressed into the form of briquets, which have been found to make exceedingly good fuel. I mightadd that in the treatment of nightsoil by my mixerfor the purpose of making fuel thereof, crude oil in the proper amount or quantity mightalso be added, which increases the o materials is done away with, theobnoxious gases or vapors from said materials being drawn off and carried away by my mixer during the passage of said materials therethrough, and my mixer may be readily constructed and at a comparatively low cost. The top portions of the tanks maybe of comparatively light material, while the body portions and heads are preferably of cast iron, so as to provide, a rigid construction and one not readily affected by acids or chemicals. The shaft 8 and conveyers 19 and 27 are positively driven by the belt or sprocket-chain l4, and, as is obvious, con- 'veyer 19 rotates in an opposite direction from shaft 8 and conveyer 27, so as to properly, propel the materials being mixed through the apparatus. I have shown but one vapor or gas exhaust opening in each tank, but it is to be understood that two or more such openings might be made in each said tank and that other changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my mixer may be made and substituted for those hereinshown and described. without departing from the nature and rinciple of my invention.

Having t us described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Themixing apparatusherein described, the same comprising standards, a series of elongated tanks comprising a receiving-tank and a finishing-tank mounted substantially in vertical alinement on said standards, said receiving-tank being adapted to receive the materials to be mixed and being inclined downwardly toward the rear thereof, and each of said tanks being provided with an inlet-opening in its top, an outlet-opening in its bottom, and a vapor-exhaust opening, a stirrer adapted to mix said materials rotatably mounted in said receiving-tank, a pipe connecting the outlet-opening of said receiving-tank with the inlet-opening of said finishing-tank, a valve in said pipe adapted to regulate the passage of said materials therethrough, a screw conveyer rotatably mounted in said finishing-tank and adapted to convey said materials from end to end thereof, means adapted to rotate said stirrer and conveyer, a main exhaust-pipe, a separate exhaust-pipe connecting the exhaust-opening of each of said tanks with said main exhaustpipe, and means adapted to exhaust the vapors and gases from each of said tanks through said exhaust-pipes; substantially as described.

2. The mixing apparatus herein described, the same comprising standards, a series of elongated tanks comprising a receiving-tank,

a middle-tank, and a finishing-tank mounted substantially in vertical alinement on said standards, said receiving-tank being adapted to receive the materials to be mixed and being inclined downwardly toward the rear thereof, and each of said tanks being provided with an inlet-opening in its top, an outlet-opening in its bottom, and a vaporexhaust-opening, a stirrer adapted to mix said materials rotatably mounted in said receiving-tank, a pipe connecting the outletopening of said receiving-tank with the inletopening of said middle-tank, a valve in said pipe adapted to regulate the passage of said materials therethrough, a screw-conveyer rotatably mounted in each said middle and linishing-tanks and adapted to convey said materials from end to end thereof, a pipe connecting the outlet-opening of said middletank with the inlet-opening of said finishingtank, means adapted to rotate said stirrer and conveyers, a main-exhaust-pipr, a separate exhaust-pipe connecting the exhaust opening in each of said tanks with said main exhaust-pipe, and means adapted to exhaust the vapors and gases from each of said tanks through said exhaust-pipes; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM SNYDER.

Witnesses:

JOHN BOYLE, SHEPARD R. EVANS. 

